


Artichoke

by genderneutralnoun



Series: Exalted'verse [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: AU, Adult Teenagers, Alliance with Plegia AU, Comedy, Dealing with the repercussions of trying to integrate democracy into nobility, Exploring Romance, F/F, New Relationship, Politics, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Tension, Self-Discovery, Sexual Tension, Smooching, Suicide mention, Various Other Forms Of Tension, annoying younger siblings, as in they just want to sleep and smooch their gf, being royalty isn't as easy as it looks, casual nudity, lots of headcanons, nsfw hand holding, see: the progression of romantic relationships according to yours truly, they didn't ask for all this international drama shit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-25
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-04-27 22:52:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14435859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/genderneutralnoun/pseuds/genderneutralnoun
Summary: The heir to the Ylissean throne, Lucina, is twenty years old, and the Council is putting on the pressure for her to produce an heir of her own, preferably by finding a husband and, y'know, making one naturally. Meanwhile, she's tied up in a semi-awkward romance with the visiting tactical and political prodigy from Plegia, a young woman named Robin who reciprocates her fumbling passion but can't do a thing about her unpopularity with the council. Less than two months into both Lucina's next year of life and her new relationship, things come to a head, in one way or another.The title is a reference to a song by Charming Disaster of the same name, with chapter titles being lines from said song. Please listen to it.Starts off slow, but ultimately has some very good sappiness between these two. Written to feel like a short romance novel, with an entire plot and such; it's more or less the story of two people in love trying to figure out what that means for the both of them. Rated T for heavy romantic themes, a few slightly erotic scenes (but written so it's only if already Know), some swearing, and other behavior typical of college-age adult children. My name is Flamy, and in my spare time I write novels.





	1. no ordinary ornament

**Author's Note:**

> Listen to Artichoke in Charming Disaster's Bandcamp at the following link: https://charmingdisaster.bandcamp.com/track/artichoke

All she wanted, Lucina thought irritably, was to get some quality time alone with her girlfriend.

If it were up to her, the meaning of that statement would be as ambiguous as whoever heard it wanted it to be. And that was exactly the problem. Even though she was technically an adult, even though she could technically make her own decisions and fuck anyone else who disagreed, there were certain things one really shouldn’t do when one was royalty, and those things were usually up to the Council. Of course the idea of having a Council of influential individuals to keep the royal family in check sounds good on paper. In practice, it didn’t work because influential people are rich people, so all it did was spread things out among the noble circles. And as it happened, there were still quite a few corrupt nobles around from the time of her grandfather’s reign; people only interested in keeping their treasuries as full as they could. Those people were the reason why she had to tread carefully, lest she risk any number of dramas that could complicate her chance at a fairly normal life; or, failing that, the chance to do actual good for her country.

Before Chrom’s reign as exalt, Ylisse hadn’t had the best relationship with Plegia. (This was all in assumption, of course; it had all happened not too long before Lucina herself was born, so she had only ever known the cautious peace between the two countries that they had now.) Lady Emmeryn was kidnapped by the Plegian royal army in an attempt to bargain for the Fire Emblem, but killed herself before it could come to that. That sad story was the final straw needed to inspire the dejected and oppressed Plegian commoners and soldiers, causing them to turn from the royal army and ally themselves with Ylisse. With only his most loyal soldiers, the king of Plegia fell before Chrom’s army, and the first order of business taken care of was the mutually beneficial peace treaty.

Or, at least, the first form of it. Validar, an advisor to the old Plegian royal family and head of the Grimleal religion, took over in the absence of an heir. From writings of the time by current Aerial Division captain, Cordelia, it seemed that the lesser nobles of Plegia were intimidated by this man, willing to quietly go along with whatever didn’t get them on his bad side. His wife, a woman named Amelia, was the only one willing to stand up to him, preventing some of his worst decrees from going through. It seemed that she had some sort of major bargaining chip over him, one which the nature of was unknown to the sky knight.

A little more than two years into the treaty, and Amelia was announced to be with child. What happened in the months following depends on who you ask, and officially is regarded as a private matter of the royal family. All that which is certain is that, before Amelia’s child was born, Validar had disappeared, never to be heard from again. Amelia declared that she did not want to rule any longer than necessary, and so conditions for another treaty were discussed. The final outcome was that both countries would form a council each, made of citizens held in high esteem by the populace for governing, with the royal family managing such things as the army and ceremonial diplomatic processes. On the day it took effect, a baby girl was born to Amelia; a curious, analytic, fussy young thing named Robin.

As she grew, it was noticed that the girl had a skill for tactical matters, whether it was politics, supply management, or warfare. She quickly outstripped her tutors and exhausted the traditional classes that young Plegian nobles were taught as the bare minimum, dominating practice debates just as easily as she impressed even the most esteemed mages with her speed and precision. As a result, by the time she turned thirteen, she was bored out of her mind.

Not wanting such talent to go to waste, Amelia did her best to find other schools, but each and every one was either too basic for a prodigy like Robin or completely uninteresting to the tween. It was eventually decided that she would serve in practical positions alongside people many years her senior; an unexpected move from the Plegian council, but if you were right there (which Robin was, so Lucina knew all about it), it was pretty clear that it was because they were all ready to do anything to distract Robin from her various “hobbies” that she had taken up since graduating.

Regardless of the reason, the aspiring tactician gladly took up more responsibility than anyone else her age would have been capable of, and just as she had with her classes, rose up the ranks of negotiators, politicians, and delegates. Before her sixteenth birthday, she was a force to be reckoned with in the council’s convening hall, her quietness and intense, analytic gaze combined to make herself  _ almost _ forgettable- except no one could afford to forget her, because she heard and remembered everything, and would chase down the tiniest mistake, the smallest hint, exactly as far as it reached, without fail. She kept a strict conduct, was immune to bribes and impossible to threaten, and never forgave a slight. In short, she was just as cunning and brilliant as any adult, if not more, and if people didn’t respect that by itself, they quickly learned to.

Uneventful years passed, with the most exciting happenings being new noble births or marriages, which always caused a flurry in political circles as the various boards and councils readjusted themselves to fit the new pecking order. After Robin turned eighteen, she prepared for her first assignment abroad. She, along with several other important politicians, traveled to the capital of Ylisse for the celebration of the crown princess Lucina’s twentieth birthday; an important milestone due to the fact that she could now peacefully succeed her father, once she established a lineage of some sort. (Seventeen was marriageable age, so even if an heir had a child before turning twenty, they could not assume rule until then except under extraordinary circumstances.) The technicalities of how were rather lenient, but due to pressures from the council, the princess was expected to search for a husband.

What actually happened, as one might guess, turned out to be quite different. When Robin and the princess were introduced, the initial spark was merely that of friendship; one that seemed to promise a long-lasting, mutually beneficial bond. Both were secretly pleased to have a friend around the same age and standing as themselves, as neither had really had one before.

As the celebration drew nearer, however, Lucina found herself spending more and more time with the blonde genius. Her mind fixated on little things, like how lovely Robin’s hair looked in the light, or how nice her smile was. Before long, she realized she was completely infatuated with the tactician. This development was rather unsettling to the princess, as she hadn’t had so much as a crush on someone else before then, and certainly never to quite this degree. For a few days, she almost avoided Robin, but it didn’t help. She had duties to perform, and many of them involved meetings with the tactician and her fellow diplomats; might as well get used to just pushing through it. The bluette planned to tell her and get over with it, but something in her chest kept delaying it, so she ended up leaving it until the day of the celebration.

Lucina ran her hands through her hair as she remembered the day. She was already frazzled, trying to complete her responsibilities for the celebration, when she noticed that Robin kept glancing over at her nervously. Not sure of what that meant, but reminded of what she had to do, she steeled herself to ask for a quick, private chat in one of the lessor-tread corridors. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of exposition in this chapter! After this, we're gonna have a few flashback chapters, then actually get to the meat of the story. I suppose one could organize it into separate acts if that makes any sense whatsoever... Anyway, get ready for a ride! A fluffy, awkward, strangely relatable ride.


	2. my secret hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for nsfw hand holding. (If you want to understand that joke, please go to the following link. https://genderneutralnoun.tumblr.com/post/173231309600/the-progression-of-romantic-relationships)

“Um,” Lucina said, her hands playing with the front of her formal dress. “Can I… speak with you, out in the hallway? I-It’s nothing bad, I just, I have something to say.”

“Of course,” Robin replied. “That’s actually quite convenient; I also have something to, um, discuss.”

The two were silent as Lucina navigated them to a place she knew would be private. “I have something to tell you,” she blurted as soon as she turned to face the shorter girl, her cheeks a little pink. “I-I-I really appreciate your advice, and I’m honored to be your friend, y-you’re lovely company. B-But, I don’t- I really like you,” she mumbled the last part, but Robin caught it. “Like, a-as more than a friend.”

Robin stood rooted to her spot, eyes wide. Out of all the things she had predicted might happen,  _ this _ was not one of them.

“I-I'm sorry,” Lucina stammered, glancing away from the tactician. “I know, it's g-gross, it's not what's-”

“Lucina, shut up,” the blonde interrupted, then winced. “Agh, I didn't mean- forget it, just listen to me. I like you too, okay? S-So it's not gross, it's not a problem, I-I-I’ll fight anyone who tries to tell you otherwise! I-I mean, if y-you'll have me,” she finished quietly.

Lucina gently tilted the shorter girl’s face up with a hand to her chin. “Of course,” she said softly. “I-I don’t think I’d rather have anyone one else. Uhm, emphasis on ‘think’.”

“W-well, let’s try it out and see, yeah?” Robin laughed nervously. “No other way to know, right?”

“Yeah.” Silence fell. Lucina realized she still had the tips of her fingers touching the blonde’s chin, and pulled her hand away a little too quickly. 

“Hey, it’s okay.” Robin rose her left hand, palm hovering just next to Lucina’s chest. “You, uh…”

The tactician moved down to where Lucina’s hands were clasped together, watching the bluette’s face carefully. “Want… this?” Robin finished awkwardly.

Lucina bit her lower lip, and if Robin wasn’t imagining things, the color in her cheeks was a little bit darker. “Yes,” she whispered.

Robin took a deep breath, then gently brought her left hand to touch Lucina’s right, and brought up her other hand to do the same. The bluette felt a gentle thrill run up her back. Cautiously, she unlaced her fingers, then turned her hands palms-up to gently guide Robin’s to face up towards her, putting one hand below each of the tactician’s and folding her thumbs over her palms, so she could feel, through that small connection, the smoothness of her lover-to-be’s palms while at the same time cradling them, gazing hopelessly at the delicate yet clever beauty of Robin’s slender, work-worn fingers. If she had just an ounce more of courage, Lucina would have buried her face in them, so soft and ultimately attractive they were. (Attractive, at least, to the bluette; she knew nothing of others’ typically favored traits, only that there was something about every part of Robin that made her mind stop working correctly and her heart feel fit to burst.)

“W-wow,” Lucina breathed, closing her eyes briefly before meeting Robin’s gaze again. “You… your hands are so  _ soft, _ ” she finished awkwardly. 

Robin gave Lucina what she hoped looked like a flirty grin, blushing a little at the compliment. “Y-yours are… strong,” she responded awkwardly. “Like, it’s hard to describe- they’re a bit rough, b-but firm, l-like in a lithe way, which means, like, muscular, b-but not like that… I love them,” she finished as she looked to the ground, suddenly shy.

Lucina felt a little thrill go down her back at that. Lifted by an unexpected surge of confidence, she shifted a bit closer, causing the tactician to look up again.

The princess found herself caught by Robin’s eyes for a heartbeat or two; absorbed in the delicate details of her deep grey irises, the flecks and streaks of different shades throughout; then realized she had leaned in closer again, and their faces were only a few inches apart. She blushed and backed away a little, but Robin’s hands turned and grabbed hers, pulling her back. It had never occurred to the bluette how many different ways two people’s hands could touch the other’s.

Robin’s eyelids were lowered, her eyes a little glassy. Lucina’s front teeth dug into her lower lip, trying to clamp down on the sudden, hot spike of desire that lanced through her stomach at seeing Robin’s face like  _ that. _ Desperate to focus on anything else, she glanced briefly at the smaller girl’s lips; they looked even softer than her hands were… 

Robin leaned in a bit closer, her cheeks pink, her brow furrowed with some emotion Lucina didn’t have the presence of mind to interpret. They stood frozen like that, until-

“Milady? Milady Lucina!”

The princess jerked back so fast she nearly hit her nose against Robin’s, dropping her hands like a hot loaf of bread. She whirled around, much too aware of how her face was flushed and her palms were sweaty and her hair was completely hopeless (though that wasn't exactly new), trying not to look like someone who had just been walked in on. 

“Y-yes, Lorica?” Lucina was acutely aware of Robin behind her, trying to elegantly slink away without making it look too much like that was what she was doing. “Is something wrong?” she asked, trying to appear composed to the girl in front of her now; a servant a few years older than her and with whom she had a pleasant relationship with.

“No, milady- it’s just, the ceremony’s going to start soon, and it can’t do that without you, so I needed to find out where you were hiding.”

“No one’s hiding!” Lucina squeaked, her voice at least an octave higher than usual.

“Of course, milady, I just meant-”

“I’ll be right there!” The princess paused, then took a deep breath. “I-I mean, I’ll come with you. I don’t have anything to do here, nope. Lady Robin and I were just, chatting. Perfectly normal for friends to do.”

Lorica raised an eyebrow. “Pardon me, milady,” she said mildly, “but you needn’t be nervous. What _ ever _ you were just doing is absolutely none of my business, nor is it anyone else’s. Even if I had suspicions, I wouldn’t judge on them, and I certainly would not inform anyone else of them. So please, don’t feel the need to be secretive with me.”

_ She’s not lying. _ Lucina had known Lorica for quite a few years now, and the servant girl had been accomplice to many of the princess’s wilder escapades, especially those of a few years ago. (Lucina liked to think she was considerably more mature than she was then. She also knew that was probably very incorrect.) Not that this was in any way comparable. 

“O-okay,” she said, trying to calm her quivering voice. It was no use; she was on high alert from being surprised in such an intimate position. Lucina sighed, running her hands back through her hair, and shook her head. “Could you inform the preparations that I might be a bit late? I'm a bit on edge now, I need to go freshen up.”

“Of course, milady.” Lorica bowed, then gave her a quick wink. If it hadn't been for hours of composure classes as a kid (that in all honesty seemed to conflict directly with her personality), Lucina would have groaned out loud; as it was, she muttered something less than polite under her breath immediately after giving Lorica a sharp look. The servant only giggled as she disappeared around the corner. 

_ On second thought, I might have to have a word with her. Yes, it's good that she's not going to be spreading rumors, but I don't want her to be  _ implying _ things, even when we're alone! _

The princess glanced back to where she had last seen Robin. The blonde, who had obviously been waiting for her attention before she left, wiggled her fingers in a playful wave before turning to head down a corridor in the opposite direction of the hall where the party would be taking place.

Lucina blinked, heat re-entering her cheeks as Robin’s flirtatious gesture had her momentarily stupefied. Then she shook her head decisively, trying to clear her mind, but the sluggish, stunned feeling persisted. It was rather like being so shocked, Lucina thought, that one didn’t even have the energy to react accordingly, so one just mildly accepted it.

_ Why is my life like this? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh wow these two are gay. i mean am i right fellas


	3. no epicure could long resist

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so, confession time: I finished this chapter aaaaaages ago, but via a series of not publishing it and thinking that I had published it, I completely forgot until I went to post the next chapter and realized there were only two chapters when there should have been three. So, double update! Yay?

When she woke up the next day, Lucina didn't immediately recall what had happened.

She groaned as she turned over in bed, a headache assailing her immediately when she returned to consciousness. Did she have too much wine last night, or was this just a normal case of after-party ugh? She knew that she was usually wiped after parties anyway and didn’t usually go overboard (she discovered she was  _ very _ lightweight the hard way), but she couldn’t remember the exact details of anything right then.

“End me,” Lucina said grouchily as the door to her bedroom opened to reveal Lorica, presumably here to get her out of bed.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, milady,” Lorica said drily. “I don’t think it would do very well for my already-poor pay grade to kill the princess.”

“That’s m’girl,” the bluette responded, her voice muffled from her face currently being buried in a pillow. Lorica rolled her eyes and neatly pulled off the top blanket, putting her hands on her hips as the princess glared at her blearily.

“You need to get up,” the servant said matter-of-factly. “The Council wants to meet in two hours to discuss the implications of your new age.

“Thanks for the update.” Lucina shifted backwards, sneaking back under the covers. “Now, please let me be miserable in peace.”

“Oh, no you don’t.” The princess yelped in surprise as Lorica yanked the rest of the covers off, not even flinching as the girl was revealed to be wearing absolutely nothing. “Were you really  _ that _ overheated last night, or just enjoying some nudity?”

Lucina looked down at herself, then quickly back up to meet the servant’s gaze. “I actually have no idea. And, actually, that’s the thing that’s got me all muddled. Pardon the language, but what the fuck happened last night, again?”

“Aptly put,” Lorica said mysteriously.

“I will throw this at you,” Lucina said, waving a pillow at the servant girl.

“Suffice to say, you got drunk,” Lorica said briskly. “Oh, and for heaven’s sake, put something on; you'll catch a cold, and then where would I be? Anyway, the grape wine that was supposedly watered down was not, in fact, watered down. Someone’s idea of a joke, I suppose.”

“Unfortunately for me, even one glass of that stuff and I'm a lost cause,” Lucina grumbled, putting two and two together. “Great. Hangover on my first day as a prospect Exalt. When will the wonders cease?”

“Probably when you remember the rest of what happened yesterday,” Lorica suggested politely. “For Naga’s sake, put something on or I'll put it on you myself.”

Lucina knew better than to disregard a warning from the servant girl. “Why’s that?” she said curiously as she pulled on some underclothes.

“I won’t ruin the surprise.” Lorica looked her up and down, then sighed. “Forget it, you need to freshen up. Get over to your bathroom, I’ll be there with clothes and stuff in a moment.”

“Fine, fine.”

 

* * *

 

The moment Lucina met Robin’s gaze, she remembered.

She sat down across from the bluette, a mischievous smile on her face. Lucina looked up, and her carefully prepared, bored expression evaporated in an instant.

Since she was eating breakfast at the time, she managed to hide her blush under the sudden coughing fit she had. When she cleared her throat and looked back at the tactician nervously, Robin just chuckled and started on her own food. 

_ Okay. Okay. _ Lucina took a deep breath.  _ You’ve got about fifteen minutes before the meeting begins officially. Use that time to get yourself together. _

“Hello there, Princess.”

_ Oh, perfect. _ “Hello, Lord Damien,” the princess said tiredly. The charismatic Feroxi noble had just sat down in the seat next to her, looking entirely too cheerful for Lucina’s taste. “I trust you’re finding the cuisine to your, uh, enjoyment?”

“Yes, indeed.” He pointedly looked to his other side, where a window opened onto one of the outer balconies, then back at her. “It’s no competition to the view, though.”

_ Naga save me. _ “I’m sure,” she said politely, then mentally berated herself for it.  _ What, exactly, was  _ that _ supposed to mean? I did not get  _ nearly _ enough sleep for this. _

Lucina glanced around the table, sighing internally when she saw that all the other seats were taken. This was going to be a long meeting.

 

* * *

 

Lucina had to restrain herself from leaping up from the table the moment the meeting was over. As it was, she tapped her feet impatiently, waiting for it to clear out a bit; then stood up semi-casually and made a beeline for the nearest door while trying to make it look like that wasn’t what she was doing. Robin had left mysteriously during the meeting, probably off to do something more important, so the princess was left without a clue as to where she should go. 

_ If this was a book, this would be point where someone random comes along with either great advice or the start of a new plot arc, _ Lucina thought idly.  _ The author writes themself into a corner, then relies on cheap tactics to get out. But life isn’t like that. Sometimes, there’s just moments when there nothing immediate, so you can’t figure out where to go next. _

With a sigh, she began to make her way towards Robin’s quarters, intending to use that as a starting point for her search.  _ She usually works in her study when she can, anyway. _ She had taken barely two steps before two small, unstoppable forces of destruction collided with her legs, successfully knocking her and themselves over. 

“So’wy!” The twins got up faster than she did, and even went so far as to try to help her up. “We didn’ look where we were goin’!”

“That’s something you have to work on, you know,” she grumbled. Tiny hands grabbed at her, ultimately only hindering her progress until she waved them away. “You know anything about self-improvement?”

Her two twin siblings, Alitha the redhead and Jordan the bluette, considered this for a moment. “No,” Alitha said finally, Jordan shaking his head decisively.

“Well, that makes three of us,” said Lucina archly, causing more confused looks from the twins. “Just- ugh, it's not important. Forget it, okay?”

“We never forget,” said Jordan, in a strangely deep, ominous voice.

_ I need more sleep. _ “Okay. I have places to be, so-” Lucina didn’t have the chance to finish her sentence before the two ran off, disappearing the way they came. The princess sighed, then started off again. Much like before, she got barely two steps before, yet again, she was stopped when she realized she was missing something.

“Those thieving brats!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alitha and Jordan are little shits and I love them. Just so y'all know.


	4. the urge to taste you on their lips

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said- double update. Wow, this chapter felt a lot longer than it actually is while writing it. Luckily, I'm already a good way through the next chapter, and it's pretty long, relatively.

In hindsight, Lucina didn’t know why she felt she had to get her necklace back immediately. It wasn’t as if the twins ever kept anything they stole, at least not so far, and she didn’t  _ need _ it at any point in the near future; perhaps, at this point, it was merely a matter of honor.

Regardless of reason, the bluette found herself stumped by an open section of the castle; a high-ceilinged room with several passageways branching off of it, and matching curved staircases leading up to a balcony on the second floor that overlooked the majority of the room. 

She glanced around frantically.  _ They could be anywhere by now, and there’s no hint to where they would’ve gone. I know they like stairs, but that just leads to a dead end, they’re too smart to get themselves caught that easily…  _

“Looking for something, Lady Lucina?”

The princess looked up to see Robin leaning casually against the balcony banister, something metal and sparkly dangling from her hands. The blonde gave her a playful grin, but her cheeks were pinker than usual- somehow, Lucina knew that it was because even though Robin was trying to be coy, she still felt shy; and that thought, for one reason or another, gave the bluette a pleasant shiver down her back.

She grinned back subconsciously, suddenly very aware of the fact that she probably still had some visible traces of her breakfast left, and so closed her mouth again a bit too quickly. Lucina felt her palms get hot again, tingling faintly as she remembered the feeling of Robin’s hands against hers, and swallowed once before awkwardly speed-walking up the stairs.

“Uh-uhm, yes, I was, um, looking for that,” she stammered as she neared the top, trying not to look winded. 

There was an awkward pause. “Well, here you go,” Robin said matter-of-factly, handing over the necklace. Lucina took it gratefully and fastened it back around her neck, the weight feeling odd now after being without it.

“So,” Robin said cautiously, “What do you remember of last night?”

Lucina got the odd feeling that this was a test, which we shall not comment on the accuracy of. “Um,” she hedged, tucking her hands behind her back awkwardly, “well, I remember we had a… conversation.”

“Do you remember anything about that conversation?”

“Yeah.” There was another pause as both waited for the other to speak. Lucina eventually continued. “I mean… do you still… want that?”

“Of course,” Robin said forcefully, then added in a meeker voice, “I-I mean, if we’re talking about what I think we’re talking about…”

_ Oh no. _ Leave it to her to say something stupid under the influence of alcohol. “I’m talking about the conversation we had before the party,” Lucina clarified hastily. “I don’t remember a lot after that beyond, um…”

“Getting progressively more and more drunk?” Lucina blushed and nodded. “Naturally. Memory is among the things that alcohol usually inebriates.” She moved closer, her face decidedly more colored than before. “So… are we…”

“What are we?” Lucina asked nervously. “I-I mean, I know what we said, but…”

“It needs to be said out loud,” Robin finished. “I get it. Um, would you…”

“Oh, s-sure,” the princess stammered. “Uh… Robin, would you… do me the honor of being… my g-girlfriend?”

“Yes,” Robin whispered. She moved in closer, taking Lucina’s hands into hers. “Your… Your girlfriend.”

Lucina chuckled nervously. “It’s basically what we said yesterday, but saying it out loud is so… different,” she said in answer to Robin’s questioning look. “Different in a good way, though. I might… I think I could get used to it.”

“I think I could, too.” The tactician tilted her head back slightly, as if suggesting something. Without really thinking about it, Lucina had leaned in closer. Once again, she found herself transfixed by Robin’s lips, how impossibly soft they looked… 

This time, no one interrupted them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love ambiguously worded section endings. They're so great. I think it's fair to blame the Danger'verse for my love of ambiguously worded section endings. It's fair to blame the Danger'verse for a lot of things, to be honest.  
> Anyway, some news to go with your double update! I may be renaming this work, and the chapters to go with it. I'm not sure. I have a new series in the works (yikes), which I'm calling the Muse'verse, since all the fics will be named after songs and chapter titles being the lyrics, in the same style as this fic; so I kind of want to change this one for consistency, but one of the eventual future fics in this series that I had an idea for _really_ wants to be named after a song too, so if I did that, there'd be no point in changing this one. Writing be hard.  
>  Also, sorry for the in-general long hiatus. Even though it's summer, it's been a stressful summer, trying to figure out what to do for school next year, my parents being awful as usual, all that fun stuff. I _have_ actually done a lot of writing; but most of it is either unfinished, or private, or both. On a more positive note, I also wanted to say I've been working on Water and Scales at least a little, even though it's mostly been worldbuilding. I have so many cool OCs (at least I think so) planned for that; babies and dragons and- well, now that would be telling, wouldn't it?  
>  In any case, I hope you enjoyed this chapter (and the last), and this little update on my work if you're a follower of my stuff! In which case, I REALLY appreciate y'all. So much. I write for myself, yes, but knowing that other people like my silly ideas and are willing to bear through my inconsistency to read my stuff means so much. I can't say how thankful I am for every kudos and comment, but I'll be damned if I'm not going to try my hardest. So, thank you. Thank y'all so, so much.


	5. armored blossum, I would steam you gently

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *insert meaningless apology for long absence*

It only took about two weeks, and about eleven different occasions of nearly being caught by the wrong people (and that amount didn’t hold a torch to the times they  _ successfully _ met for what Robin delicately called their “meetings to discuss our relationship,” or, if she was feeling spicy, “snogging matches”; an amount which, for the sake of you, the reader, shall be unspecified), for Robin to declare that they had to tell the others.

“It’ll be worse if someone finds out before we announce it,” she said plainly, her serious tone contrasting with the blissful look on her face. The two were squashed comfortably in one of the window seats on the higher floors, the fact that it was more than twenty feet above the exterior palace gardens (open to the public for nearly twenty years running, as the entrance sign boasted) being reasonable cause to assume that no one could see them from that side. Lucina was laid out sideways, her lower back laid on a convenient pillow and her knees bent upward to scrunch into what little space was available. Robin’s head was laid on her chest, with her center of gravity pulled back and off of the bluette so her cloak pressed against the window through the drapes they’d hastily pulled shut, and her legs were folded up under Lucina's knees. The tactician’s eyes were closed, and had been for some time as Lucina gently stroked her head, playing with her hair sometimes.

When the princess didn't respond, Robin gently poked her shoulder. “Dear, did you hear me?” the blonde said coyly, smiling as her use of the endearment made Lucina blush slightly. Robin loved using pet names and things for her girlfriend, almost entirely because of the way she reacted. The way the bluette could switch from being the brash, slightly imposing princess most people knew to the shy girl she was when they were alone fascinated her, in an odd way that didn’t quite match the word but was the closest thing she could think of.

“Yeah, I did,” Lucina admitted. “I was just… thinking about my response. That sounds justifiable, right?”

Robin sniggered. “Very.”

Lucina paused, as if the gears of her mind had briefly gotten stuck as she realized that Robin’s response meant she’d said the last bit aloud. Deciding not to make it any more awkward than it already was, she moved on as if nothing happened. “You’re right, as you usually are.”

“Flatterer.”

“I say it because it’s true,” Lucina said adamantly. “You are  _ very _ perceptive; you could probably teach a class. Heck, sign me up for that class. I can’t understand a thing of all this court politics and intrigue, and I’m the  _ princess. _ ”

“Probably because most of court politics and intrigue is a load of bullshit,” Robin muttered. When Lucina barked a laugh, she looked at the bluette sternly. “I’m serious! So much of it is posture and primping and who’s gonna make babies with whom. It’s ridiculous.” 

There was a brief pause. “D’you think it’ll get any better?” Lucina asked, her voice a bit quieter to indicate the seriousness of her question. 

Robin was quiet for a while before responding. “I hope so,” she said softly. “That’s a thing I’m going to have to work hard to do- as a negotiator, letting people know that I won’t put up with that kind of crap. I’m only just establishing myself here, but soon I hope I’ll be able to get enough respect to hold something over them to get them to stop. But that’s just a temporary solution- what about after I’m… rather, what about when I’m not around? Who’s going to uphold that standard?”

She sighed and leaned forward, resting her chin on Lucina’s shoulder. “So much of politics is reputation, and how you use that,” she continued. “But it- like every individual- is fleeting and impermanent. If I want to make real change, then I’m going to have to do a lot more.”

Both of them were quiet for a bit, then Robin sighed again and gave Lucina a smile. “But we’re not going to worry about that today. I believe you were saying I was right?”

“Yes, I was,” Lucina said warmly, suddenly feeling a pleasant surge of affection. She gently shifted Robin over to one side and brought her face down to hers, smiling mischievously. “I can say a lot more than that, too…”

Further conversation was therefore postponed.

* * *

 

It was eventually decided that Robin would write a sealed letter to Amelia informing her of the tactician’s new relationship status and let her mother distribute the information, as was traditional among the Plegian nobility. As for Lucina, she had the “altogether more interesting”, as Robin put it, task of informing her parents in person, since that seemed the prudent thing to do, and Ylisse had no specific customs for the matter.

Being the Exalt, Chrom was usually markedly busier than his husband was, so Lucina decided to tell Gaius first. As a younger kid, Father had spent more time with her; partially because she needed more attention at that age, and partially because, as Chrom was still a young adult himself at the time, he made it no secret that he disliked the boring, stifling court meetings, when he’d rather being doing something more active. As they all got older, he grew into his responsibility, and at the time, it suited Lucina just fine, since she herself was going through some rather exhausting changes. 

Her papa, Gaius, on the other hand, had very few royal duties beyond looking after the twins, which, as he often said, was practically “an entire royal duty of its own”. He wasn’t exaggerating.

“Hello, Pa- oh.” Lucina’s greeting was cut off rather abruptly as she caught sight of Gaius, who currently had a rather smug-looking Litha perched on his head. “Um, would you like some help with that?”

“I’d like that,” he replied dryly. With their combined efforts, they managed to coax Litha down into Lucina’s arms and to the floor from there without injury, other than a few pulled hairs. “You know you can’t do that anymore, right?” he added sternly to the five-year-old. “It’s fun, but you’re getting too heavy. Chrom you can still climb on, but I’m a different story.” He grunted and rubbed the back of his neck ruefully.

“Amazing that you have the patience to always give them an honest lecture,” Lucina commented as Litha promptly scurried over to the other side of the room to join Jordan in his focused, serious-faced rearranging of all the books on the shelves they could reach.  _ That’s going to drive Robin nuts. Luckily she has a special kind of humor for dealing with those two, or they’d never get along…  _

“Well, it’s not as if they’re going to put it into process right away,” Gaius admitted. “They’re smart kids, so they should absorb it nonetheless, and they aren’t heartless. Once they start understanding concepts like compassion and personal space, it’ll be a lot easier to get them to behave, because then they’ll know  _ why _ they shouldn’t do stuff.”

“Makes sense,” Lucina said, a little impressed. “I guess I never really thought about it like that.”

Gaius grinned in response. “It is more complicated than that, but that’s more or less it. This parenting stuff is old hat for me anyway, and it’s kinda fun comparing the differences in each of ya while you were kids.” Lucina blushed a little, as one does when parents mention one’s childhood, but she pushed it aside. “Speaking of, did you want something specific?”

“Um, yes, actually. I have something to tell you.” This was it; no going back now. Better to just get it done with. “I’m going out with Robin now,” she blurted.

“Oh. Okay.”

There was a pause. “That’s it?” Lucina asked, forgetting herself in her confusion. 

“Yeah. I mean, did you expect me to chew you out? Good, I’d hope I wasn’t teaching that,” Gaius added after Lucina shook her head vehemently. “I’m not too concerned; Robin’s a good egg, from what you’ve told me and from what I know of her. And general relationship stuff we’ve already talked about-” (this made Lucina’s blush deepen even further) “-so you’re good on that front. I’d forbid you from doing stupid stuff, but you’d do that anyway, because everyone does, and I’m confident that you’re capable of learning from your mistakes, even horny ones.”

One of those words made Lucina stiffen a little. “H-horny?” she echoed.

“Yeah, horny.” And that was the end of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "H-horny?  
> "Yeah, horny."
> 
> This reminds me of a meme but I can't remember which one.


End file.
